Connected Superintendents Help Drive Innovation

Superintendents set the tone, vision, and direction of their school districts.

They determine district priorities, choose where to invest oft-limited funding, and develop policies that reflect the perspectives of schools, administrators, teachers, and, ultimately, students.

In short, superintendents prepare their school districts for the future.

Today, that means supporting students with high-quality learning technologies that provide new opportunities otherwise not possible with textbooks alone. It means empowering teachers through professional development and learning communities. And it means equipping schools with the infrastructure to sustain digital learning.

Superintendents involved with the League of Innovative Schools understand this. In an environment that often does not reward challenges to the status quo, these leaders are willing to pioneer promising educational practices to prepare students for the future.

Earlier this month, all League superintendents were recognized for their forward-thinking work with an invitation to the White House for the ConnectED to the Future summit, an event hosted by the U.S. Department of Education that will bring together more than 100 school district leaders committed to making their districts, and in turn its students, “future ready.”

During the summit, which takes place on Nov. 19, President Obama will host a digital signing of the Future Ready Pledge with the superintendents in attendance, as well as hundreds of district leaders joining virtually.

Each superintendent who signs the pledge commits to steer their district in a direction that will provide schools, students, and teachers with devices and digital learning materials, as well as the support needed to use these tools effectively. The pledge provides a roadmap to follow so districts have the infrastructure and the capacity to leverage digital tools and unlock the full potential for student learning.

With these leaders working together to chart the course for future-ready schools, educators everywhere can better understand how to improve opportunities to learn for all students.